I have a Dream, too.

I never get tired of hearing Martin Luther King's riveting "I have A Dream” speech from 1963. King was one of the brilliant forefathers of the Civil Rights Movement and he spoke tirelessly about the importance of valuing all human beings. One of my favorite lines included, "make justice a reality for all of God's children." He went on to say, "and so, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream." 

His message inspired me years ago when I lived in the Atlanta area and witnessed inequality in the schools, community and my own workplace. His message inspired me again when I visited The King Center and saw a photographic exhibit on leaders of social change including pillars such as Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi. And King continues to inspire me today. As the parent of a child with a disability who is often the victim of discrimination, it is apparent that we still have a road to travel on human rights. 

Martin Luther King placed the important building blocks of civil rights into the foundation of our nation's history. His vision and mandate for equality led the way for two other leaders for human rights to emerge: Judy Heumann and Wade Blank, advocates for the rights of the disabled who were both instrumental in the eventual passing of the 1990 civil rights law, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that finally gave the disabled the right to be treated equally. 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: "All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. Thus, everyone must be treated equally under the law, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, or other characteristics, without privilege, discrimination or bias." 

And so, to commemorate Martin Luther King and his message of equality, GraceSigns is now going to be offering all of its applications for free going forward. We stand for inclusion, diversity, desegregation and respect for all people. In offering our educational (sign language & reading) content for free, that message can now be heard by more people.

by Valerie Carter